Latest news with #SpeedwayMotorsports
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
From racetrack to ballpark: Bristol's MLB transformation shifts into high gear for Braves vs Reds
Turning a racetrack into a baseball field worthy of hosting Major League Baseball takes time and a plan. Demolition started in early June with heavy construction now in high gear to transform Bristol Motor Speedway into a ballpark — if only for the Aug. 2 Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee. Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As of Tuesday, Bristol no longer is a racetrack. 'It's not going to be good to have a 2-foot wall ... in the outfield for a player to run into, so naturally those had to go,' Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations development for Speedway Motorsports, said. Turning this track into a ballpark requires about 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield. Murray Cook, president of BrightView Sports Turf Division, said trucks will start bringing in 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface later this week. The grass will be synthetic with 124,000 square feet set to be laid down with this field using the same surface as the Blue Jays in Toronto. There will be fencing, padding and foul poles. Musco Sports Lighting is adding 215 lights to the top of the track so no ball should be lost in a shadow. Advertisement 'The field obviously is a big part of this event, and we're making it as major league level as it needs to be for this game,' Cook said. Hosting an MLB game requires much more than just a field. BaAM is helping MLB and Bristol so that the teams have locker rooms complete with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coach and trainers' offices, batting cages and even a full weight room. 'Everything that we're going to do is temporary in nature, and it's been precisely planned layers and layers,' BaAM president Annemarie Roe said. 'We have about 33 days from today until we hand over to baseball operations.' TRENDING STORIES Advertisement There will be grandstands down both the first- and third-base lines with broadcast booths, camera platforms, media positions and video replay included along with audio and video components. Concessions and merchandise will be available for fans on game day. For any players wanting to go over the wall, they'll have to carry 400 feet to clear center field, 375 in the alleys and 330 down each base line. True renovations always reveal something owners don't expect. Same goes for Bristol officials who found out they won't have to replace everything after Aug. 2. Swift said they won't have to replace the Sunoco pumps and tanks with NASCAR now bringing those to each race. The Sunoco signs also are gone to avoid sitting in center field. Half an infield building was removed to clear space for the outfield wall. Advertisement Bristol has loads of experience with extreme track makeovers from bringing in dump trucks of dirt for races. This track hosted a college football game in the Battle of Bristol, drawing an NCAA-record 156,990 fans in 2016. Interest has been big, and MLB is planning a lot of events before the first pitch with Pitbull and Tim McGraw already set for a pregame concert from a stage in the infield. Country star Jake Owen will highlight more performances outside the track announced Tuesday. The fan zone also will feature the Commissioner's Trophy, a 110-foot Ferris wheel, a food truck row, pitching tunnels and batting cages, team mascots and being Bristol — branded MLB stock cars for photos. Bristol will have a chance at the record for the largest crowd to see a baseball game. A March 2008 exhibition between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Los Angeles Coliseum drew 115,300. Advertisement Once the Reds and Braves wrap up and all the fans leave, the next challenge begins. Bristol will race against the clock to turn the field back into a track for a night race in the NASCAR playoffs Sept. 13. 'There's the right way, the wrong way, and the speedway,' Swift said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Race track to MLB field: Bristol's transformation shifts into high gear
Turning a race track into a baseball field worthy of hosting Major League Baseball takes time and a plan. Demolition started in early June with heavy construction now in high gear to transform Bristol Motor Speedway into a ballpark — if only for the Aug. 2 Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee. As of Tuesday, Bristol no longer is a racetrack. 'It's not going to be good to have a 2-foot wall ... in the outfield for a player to run into, so naturally those had to go,' Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations development for Speedway Motorsports, said. Turning this track into a ballpark requires about 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield. Murray Cook, president of BrightView Sports Turf Division, said trucks will start bringing in 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface later this week. The grass will be synthetic with 124,000 square feet set to be laid down with this field using the same surface as the Blue Jays in Toronto. There will be fencing, padding and foul poles. Musco Sports Lighting is adding 215 lights to the top of the track so no ball should be lost in a shadow. 'The field obviously is a big part of this event, and we're making it as Major League level as it needs to be for this game,' Cook said. Hosting an MLB game requires much more than just a field. BaAM is helping MLB and Bristol so that the teams have locker rooms complete with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coach and trainers' offices, batting cages and even a full weight room. 'Everything that we're going to do is temporary in nature, and it's been precisely planned layers and layers,' BaAM president Annemarie Roe said. 'We have about 33 days from today until we hand over to baseball operations.' There will be grandstands down both the first- and third-base lines with broadcast booths, camera platforms, media positions and video replay included along with audio and video components. Concessions and merchandise will be available for fans on game day. For any players wanting to go over the wall, they'll have to carry 400 feet to clear centerfield, 375 in the alleys and 330 down each base line. True renovations always reveal something owners don't expect. Same goes for Bristol officials who found out they won't have to replace everything after Aug. 2. Swift said they won't have to replace the Sunoco pumps and tanks with NASCAR now bringing those to each race. The Sunoco signs also are gone to avoid sitting in centerfield. Half an infield building was removed to clear space for the outfield wall. Bristol has loads of experience with extreme track makeovers from bringing in dump trucks of dirt for races. This track hosted a college football game in the Battle of Bristol, drawing an NCAA-record 156,990 fans in 2016. Interest has been big, and MLB is planning a lot of events before the first pitch with Pitbull and Tim McGraw already set for a pregame concert from a stage in the infield. Country star Jake Owen will highlight more performances outside the track announced Tuesday. The fan zone also will feature the Commissioner's Trophy, a 110-foot Ferris Wheel, a food truck row, pitching tunnels and batting cages, team mascots and being Bristol — branded MLB stock cars for photos. Bristol will have a chance at the record for the largest crowd to see a baseball game. A March 2008 exhibition between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Los Angeles Coliseum drew 115,300. Once the Reds and Braves wrap up and all the fans leave, the next challenge begins. Bristol will race against the clock to turn the field back into a track for a night race in the NASCAR playoffs Sept. 13. 'There's the right way, the wrong way, and the speedway,' Swift said. ___ AP MLB: and AP auto racing:
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Race track to MLB field: Bristol's transformation shifts into high gear
Turning a race track into a baseball field worthy of hosting Major League Baseball takes time and a plan. Demolition started in early June with heavy construction now in high gear to transform Bristol Motor Speedway into a ballpark — if only for the Aug. 2 Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee. As of Tuesday, Bristol no longer is a racetrack. 'It's not going to be good to have a 2-foot wall ... in the outfield for a player to run into, so naturally those had to go,' Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations development for Speedway Motorsports, said. Turning this track into a ballpark requires about 17,500 tons of gravel to level the infield. Murray Cook, president of BrightView Sports Turf Division, said trucks will start bringing in 340 tons of Pennsylvania clay for the playing surface later this week. The grass will be synthetic with 124,000 square feet set to be laid down with this field using the same surface as the Blue Jays in Toronto. There will be fencing, padding and foul poles. Musco Sports Lighting is adding 215 lights to the top of the track so no ball should be lost in a shadow. 'The field obviously is a big part of this event, and we're making it as Major League level as it needs to be for this game,' Cook said. Hosting an MLB game requires much more than just a field. BaAM is helping MLB and Bristol so that the teams have locker rooms complete with showers, strength and conditioning rooms, coach and trainers' offices, batting cages and even a full weight room. 'Everything that we're going to do is temporary in nature, and it's been precisely planned layers and layers," BaAM president Annemarie Roe said. "We have about 33 days from today until we hand over to baseball operations.' There will be grandstands down both the first- and third-base lines with broadcast booths, camera platforms, media positions and video replay included along with audio and video components. Concessions and merchandise will be available for fans on game day. For any players wanting to go over the wall, they'll have to carry 400 feet to clear centerfield, 375 in the alleys and 330 down each base line. True renovations always reveal something owners don't expect. Same goes for Bristol officials who found out they won't have to replace everything after Aug. 2. Swift said they won't have to replace the Sunoco pumps and tanks with NASCAR now bringing those to each race. The Sunoco signs also are gone to avoid sitting in centerfield. Half an infield building was removed to clear space for the outfield wall. Bristol has loads of experience with extreme track makeovers from bringing in dump trucks of dirt for races. This track hosted a college football game in the Battle of Bristol, drawing an NCAA-record 156,990 fans in 2016. Interest has been big, and MLB is planning a lot of events before the first pitch with Pitbull and Tim McGraw already set for a pregame concert from a stage in the infield. Country star Jake Owen will highlight more performances outside the track announced Tuesday. The fan zone also will feature the Commissioner's Trophy, a 110-foot Ferris Wheel, a food truck row, pitching tunnels and batting cages, team mascots and being Bristol — branded MLB stock cars for photos. Bristol will have a chance at the record for the largest crowd to see a baseball game. A March 2008 exhibition between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Los Angeles Coliseum drew 115,300. Once the Reds and Braves wrap up and all the fans leave, the next challenge begins. Bristol will race against the clock to turn the field back into a track for a night race in the NASCAR playoffs Sept. 13. 'There's the right way, the wrong way, and the speedway,' Swift said. ___
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Graham Smith Named General Manager of Ten Tenths Motor Club
CONCORD, N.C., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Speedway Motorsports has appointed Graham Smith general manager of the new Ten Tenths Motor Club, an exclusive destination for luxury automotive enthusiasts and the East Coast's newest corporate event and hospitality venue. Smith, formerly the vice president of OEM partnerships at Speedway Motorsports, will now oversee daily operations of the state-of-the-art 1.7-mile Ten Tenths Circuit, manage facility rentals at the 20,000-square-foot clubhouse and spearhead future expansion projects. "Graham's extensive experience in operations, corporate sales and event management positions him uniquely to lead Ten Tenths Motor Club into its next chapter," said Speedway Motorsports President and COO Mike Burch. "His passion and energy will be crucial to the club's long-term success." Smith's journey in motorsports began in 2012 with Charlotte Motor Speedway's Operations team. After roles in corporate sales and as managing director of U.S. Legend Cars International, he became vice president of OEM partnerships in 2023. In this capacity, Smith played a pivotal role in strengthening relationships with original equipment manufacturers and was instrumental in the opening of Ten Tenths Motor Club, a collaboration between Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick. "Witnessing Ten Tenths Motor Club evolve from a vision to one of the nation's premier luxury automotive destinations has been an incredible experience," Smith said. "I'm honored to lead the club as general manager and excited to showcase its potential as a venue for both the automotive community and a variety of special events." Ten Tenths Motor Club, located adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway, offers a 1.7-mile, 19-turn road course designed by F1 veteran Alexander Wurz and a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse modeled after Turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway. Future expansion will include a members' garage with climate-controlled storage, a cigar lounge, bourbon bar and putting course. The club aims to provide unparalleled experiences for automotive enthusiasts, collectors and manufacturers. The venue opened to rave reviews in April with the third annual Heritage Invitational, a celebration of the history, artistry and innovation of the automobile, featuring the Historic Trans Am Racing Series, a celebrity Pro-Am charity fundraiser and a world-class concours. A marquee event on the Ten Tenths schedule, the 2026 Heritage invitational is scheduled to return April 9-11. Click here for high-resolution images to support this release. MEDIA INQUIRIES: Scott Cooper – scooper@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Speedway Motorsports Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
NASCAR's Atlanta Motor Speedway Is No More —For Now
HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 23: Josh Berry, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, and Joey ... More Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 23, 2025 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by) It's not every day the governor of Georgia shows up to a racetrack press conference, so you could be forgiven for thinking something earth-shattering was about to be announced—alien landings, a third Buc-ee's, perhaps. Instead, we got a renaming. In a move that combines family synergy, corporate branding, and the high-speed theater of NASCAR the track long known as Atlanta Motor Speedway has officially been rebranded as EchoPark Speedway. The seven-year naming rights agreement was announced Tuesday by Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive, a subsidiary of Sonic Automotive. If those names sound related, it's because they are: both are run by members of the Smith family dynasty, heirs to the late Bruton Smith's motorsports empire. The deal gives Georgia's only NASCAR track a new name and a bright green makeover just in time for its national debut as the opening race of TNT's NASCAR broadcast slate on June 28. EchoPark, which specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales, will now beam its brand across every inch of the 850-acre speedway in Hampton, Georgia, from track walls to Victory Lane. David Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive and brother to Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, is at the heart of this deal. So is this a savvy business partnership, or a case of one Smith brother Venmo-ing another under the table and slapping a logo on Turn 4? The terms are described as a "multi-million-dollar" agreement, but one can't help but wonder if the actual check was written in crayon at a family barbecue. To be fair, EchoPark has been steadily expanding its presence in NASCAR, with activations across nine Speedway Motorsports venues and an increasingly visible footprint among the fanbase. The company operates 17 locations in 13 markets, many of which overlap with core NASCAR territories like Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. As for the rebrand, fans will get their first look at the new EchoPark Speedway during the Quaker State 400 on June 28. The winner won't just get a trophy; they'll be handed a "nearly new" Chevy Silverado and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle so rare it sounds like something a Bond villain would collect. Only 26 of the limited-edition Sturgis Rally Harleys exist, and the first one goes straight to Victory Lane. HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 25: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, ... More crosses the finish line ahead of Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford, to win the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25, 2024 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by) Marcus Smith described the partnership as a union of like-minded, customer-focused companies. "EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are," he said. That may be true, but it also helps when your brother runs the other company. The track itself has seen plenty of reconfigurations over the years—the most recent in 2021 turned it into a superspeedway-style oval with 28 degrees of banking. That shift has produced some of the most thrilling finishes in recent NASCAR history, including the closest three-wide finish ever recorded last year. EchoPark Speedway—still tough to say without a raised eyebrow—has been part of NASCAR's core calendar since 1960. It hosted the season finale from 1987 to 2000 and was the backdrop to one of the sport's most iconic races: the 1992 finale that featured Richard Petty's last race, Jeff Gordon's first, and Alan Kulwicki's improbable championship win. This deal also marks a return to naming rights for Speedway Motorsports, which hasn't put a corporate label on one of its tracks since Charlotte Motor Speedway became Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1999. That deal, estimated to be worth around $35 million over ten years, ended in 2009 when Lowe's opted not to renew. While NASCAR has seen several tracks rebranded under naming rights—like World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, which is still going, Phoenix Raceway which was known as IMS Raceway, which is not going, and California Speedway once known as Auto Club Speedway which is now little more than a collection of buildings, piles of dirt and dreams of a rebirth—SMI has been largely quiet on that front. EchoPark Speedway is their first foray back into the naming game in over a decade. Now, under its new name, the track aims to usher in a fresh chapter for NASCAR in Atlanta—one with faster racing, brighter signage, and perhaps a few more family phone calls about marketing strategy. Tickets, schedules, and camping info for the June 26-28 NASCAR weekend can be found at Just don't ask Siri for directions to Atlanta Motor Speedway. She's still adjusting.
